Summer In Psalms: Psalms 1

Summer In Psalms: Psalm 1:1-3

Passage: Psalms 1:1-3 CSB

How happy is the one who does not

walk in the advice of the wicked

or stand in the pathway with sinners

or sit in the company of mockers!

Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,

and he meditates on it day and night.

He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams

that bears its fruit in its season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

Pray:

Background:

The book of Psalms is a collection of songs and prayers that express the heart and soul of humanity. King David wrote about half of the psalms, there are 5 or more other authors named, and there are about 50 psalms that are anonymous.

Throughout the book of psalms you will hear believers cry out for help in their greatest point of need and you’ll hear them celebrate at their highest point of joy. The purpose is to allow these psalms to guide us to a deeper relationship with God.

Title: The Happy Plant / The Pursuit Of Happiness

Main Points:

1. The Way (direction)
   1. How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers!
   2. EX: Unhappy are those that surround themselves and listen to ungodly counsel.
   3. Question: Do you believe this statement is true that “You are the sum total of the 5 closest people around you?”

   4. Check Your Circle

      1. “Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” - 1 Corinthians 15:33

      2. This doesn’t mean that you dump all of your friends and run, but it does mean that you seriously examine the pattern of the relationships around you and prioritize accordingly.

         5. Illust: Bad Influences In High School

      3. You take on the personalities and characteristics of those closest to you. I started to be negative, critical, and perverse. These ungodly behaviors over time became normal and I drifted far from God’s call on my life.

         6. App: Do you see a pattern?

      4. Walk in the advice of the wicked - associating

      5. Stand in the pathway of sinners - integrating
      6. Sit in the company of mockers - established

      7. Question: In your close relationships, which stage are you?

         7. The Tension: Aren’t we supposed to be friends of sinners?

      8. Who are you leaning in to for personal advice?

      9. Who are you seeking for spiritual counsel?
      10. Who is holding you accountable to God’s truth?
      11. Who are you spending the majority of your time with?

      12. I might be friends with hundreds of people that don’t believe what I believe or live the way God has called us to live, but that doesn’t mean that I have to give them permission to influence my future.

          8. Question: What is influencing you outside of your relationships?

      13. This text is referring specifically to relationships, but in today's context there are many other ways to be influenced by ungodly counsel and mockers.

      14. What influence are you allowing in your ears? Music & Books
      15. What influence are you allowing in your eyes? TV & Phones
      16. What influence are you allowing in your body? Substance abuse

      17. Question: Are you associating, integrating, or fully established in patterns that are moving you in the wrong direction from what God has called you to?

          9. Transitional Statement: Notice what the Scripture doesn’t say next…

      18. Instead, walk in the advice of the wise or stand in the pathway with righteous or sit in the company of saints! Then you will be happy.

      19. God doesn’t direct us to healthy community next, he directs us to a deep and intimate relationship with Himself.
      20. Biblical community is HUGE, but it’s no substitute for a personal relationship with our heavenly Father. God’s Word alone gets us where we are called to be, but healthy community helps to keep us there.
      21. Some of us lean too heavy on biblical community, when we should be leaning heavily on God.

      22. The Truth (instruction)

          1. Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.
          2. The more of the Word of God we know, the better we can use it to guide our life and daily decisions.
          3. This should be both encouraging and challenging to all of us to see our daily time with God differently than a task to be checked off!

      23. It’s our joy, our delight to dive deep into God's Word and listen to His instruction.

      24. Not only to read it, but to meditate on it day and night

          4. Don’t Hesitate, Meditation

      25. The Hebrew word hagah means to murmur or mutter: speaking Scripture quietly to yourself over and over.

      26. How many of you know it can be a challenge to stay focused in prayer
          5. “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” - Psalm 119:105

      27. The Life (connection)

          1. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
          2. Illust: Draw on Whiteboard
          3. “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.” - Matthew 7:13-14

      28. The Broad Way - “You’re not going to find what you’re looking for! It’s not what you think it is! COME WITH ME THIS WAY!!!”

          4. Happy = Healthy

      29. Our happy condition is a result of our healthy position, a tree planted by a river is going to produce life.

      30. “On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” - John 7:37-38 CSB

          5. “bears its fruit in its season”

      31. Fruit does not mean results. If we are meditating on God’s word and pursuing obedience to God Word, then the fruit that’s produced as a result if all God’s doing not ours. Therefore the results our God’s, not ours. Our responsibility to intimacy and obedience.

          6. “Whatever he does prospers”

      32. This does not mean health and wealth

      33. The psalm says the person rooted in God’s instruction flourishes in what he does. Here’s how I’d apply that: whatever we do we are satisfied in God. At peace with God. Comforted by God. Succeeding in obedience to God. Fulfilled by God!
      34. Prosper is more about having God’s approval on the results than our expectations of the results.
      35. All fruit is God’s fruit. His work and His glory alone!

Closing: The Way, The Truth, & The Life

These first 3 verses in Psalms are a beautiful picture of our walk with Christ! It reminds me of Jesus Christ who is our way, our truth, and our life!

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6 CSB

Walking Points: *Keep these points simple and brief

1. Check Your Circle
2. Meditate On The Word
3. Point People to The Way